The Savage Avengers aren’t the first tough and scary team
By Mark Lynch
Avengers, Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics
Who, along with the Avengers, are some of Marvel Comics’ toughest teams?
The first teams that usually come to mind when people think Marvel comics are the classic Avengers teams with Thor, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers leading the way and the X-Men. These are only two of the more dangerous teams in the Marvel Universe. People forget the Fantastic Four.
They may not kill, but they are one of the most dangerous teams in Marvel. Beyond what they can do to you in a fight, Reed Richards has inventions that give Galactus a reason to run for his life. There are also teams like the Defenders that have Dr. Strange, Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Namor. They cover all the threats they may encounter like magic, cosmic, and physical.
Recently, Marvel put together a team called the Savage Avengers (which debuts in May 2019). Their roster consists of Conan the Barbarian, Brother Voodoo, Punisher, Venom, Elektra, and Wolverine. Just from the look of them, this will be one of the scariest teams assembled. But they aren’t close to the first ruthless team to be put together.
Let’s look at some of the teams that get forgotten about when the toughest teams are mentioned.
Dark Avengers
Members: Norman Osborn (Iron Patriot) Bullseye (Hawkeye), Karen Sofen (Ms. Marvel), Ares, Sentry, Venom (Mac Gargan), Wolverine (Daken)
The Dark Avengers were a team of villains masked behind the guise of well-known heroes. With the exception of Ares and Sentry (and Marvel Boy who was there for one mission), this team was full of selfish killers. Despite that, they were a great team. Even more shocking is how well they worked together. Not so much as watching each other’s backs because they cared. Mostly because if they didn’t someone would die and they’d have to pick up the slack.
Norman Osborn kept his sanity together long enough for them to venture on more than a few successful missions like when they defeated Morgan le Fay and The Molecule Man later on. Maybe his crowning achievement found a way to keep Sentry in check and his alter ego the Void happy.
Their eventual downfall only came because, at the end of the day, they’re still selfish villains who went up against Captain America and the Avengers. Before that, they had no problem killing any and everyone in their way. There were more than a few civilians who died due to their carelessness. They worked because they had one goal in mind; staying alive to get all the benefits of being heroes.